Need Some Help

[trophyhunter]

I spend a lot of time at swim meets watching my children. We recently bought a Nikon D-80 with Nikkor 55-200 4-5.6 VR lense. We can take amazing pictures outside with this set up but most meets are indoors. The lighting is terrible and the pictures just don't turn out. I shoot in aperature mode with iso around 800 and I still do not get adequate shutter speed. Would an expensive flash help or do I need to go to a different lense. If so, what do you recommend. I am a newbie and I really don't know much but I am trying.

Thanks in advance.

[Steve Foss]

I don't shoot Nikon, but the principles are the same regardless of brand. You have a couple options.

One: Buy a lens that opens the aperture wider, to f2.8 or wider (so you can get a faster shutter speed with the available light). You'll still likely need to ramp iso up to 1600, which will show a good amount of digital noise and grain.

Two: Buy a flash. The flash will be the less expensive option by far but won't look quite as natural as ambient light. It will also reflect off every glinty watery surface.

[JohnK]

I agree, a faster lens - something like the Sigma 50-150 F/2.8 would work, but a flash would be less expensive. I have a fairly cheap Quantary on my D80 and it reaches quite a ways. if you're to far you could also try something like the "Better Beamer" with the external flash which focuses the flash and is supposed to be good out to 100'.

[finnbay]

I too, shoot something other than Nikon so don't know the particulars of your set up. I've shot quite a few swim meets and feel your pain. Swim meets are tough to shoot to begin with because as far as the action goes, there aren't a lot of different shots you can make. I've shot both with flash and without and like to go without if I can but have gotten some decent shots with a flash. A couple of things I like to do. Get shots before the event starts or right after it is finished when the competitor is on the blocks getting psyched to start or when they're still in the pool at the end of the race. They can be some shots filled with emotion and the subject is relatively still and you can get a sharp shot with a relatively slow shutter speed. Another thing I like to do is to shoot from one end with the subject coming towards me - especially if the event is a butterfly or breast stroke - if the meet administrator will allow. A subject moving towards you is a little less effected by slow shutter speed. Which reminds me, some pools will not allow strobes to be used. Good luck!

[Dbl]

Ken has nailed it with his advice. I shoot a lot of swimming and the lighting almost without exception is horrible. You have the orange mercury vapor lights making color casts very problematic. Lighting in most every pool I have shot requires at least 3200 ISO to get 1/320s shutter speed with a 2.8 lens. That is the minimum that will give you good results, less than that and you will have a lot of motion blur as I am sure you have found out.

Flash is NOT ALLOWED in every pool I have been in until after the swimmers are in the water. The flash can throw off the electronic timers at the start so I know of no judge that will allow flashing. As Steve mentioned I have had no success with using flash when shooting at higher angles such as from the stands. You will get hot spots from the glare off the water surface, not a good thing at all. Strobe systems work great but I would guess you are not prepared to spend about $2000 on the equipment and then carry the insurance you need to protect yourself so what other options will work?

I think Nikon makes an 85/1.8 in the $400 dollar range that if you can do some shooting from the pool deck area will give you some great results. You will have to get permission to get access to the deck and you have to stay out of everyones way which is not an easy task. Also be prepared to get soaking wet down there. Protecting your equipment becomes important as well.

You are in a tough position here, swimming demands good equipment to get good results. Wish there was an easier way of getting better shots, but this is one that has no short cuts. I hope this helps you a bit and if you need further advice don't hesitate to ask.

[mmeyer]

TrophyHunter,

If you'll look at FinnBay and DBL's web pages from their profiles you will see that they definitely know what they are talking about. They do alot of this type of photography. It sounds like you have a challenge in front of you.

Good Luck

[Dbl]

Here are just a couple of examples at ISO 1600, 1/320s, and f2.8. Shot with a 70-200/2.8 lens. A custom white balance was used and then further color correction was needed in post processing to help with the orange cast from the mercury lights.

You need to be accurate with your focus technique to keep the water from throwing off your focus. I use single point focus spot only on the head to avoid the water splash.

From the stands shot.

Laying on the pool deck shooting down the lane as Ken mentioned.

Start shot from the end of the pool.

And a reaction type shot that Ken mentioned that doesn't require fast shutter speeds to capture. Sorry for the watermark.

[finnbay]

Good examples Dan. You sure used the lighting well! I've got three pools that I shoot in, and not a one will let me get to 1/320 @ 1600 ISO without some serious underexposure. No electronic timing at any of 'em, so I'll throw the flash on once in awhile, but as you mentioned earlier, you have to be low on the deck to not get any flashback from the water.